View Full Version : First post, hopefully non-annoying .300 BLK question
Hello, been lurking on here for a while and finally decided to join in the conversation. Lots of smart experienced folks here, I've learned a lot already.
I'm am fairly inexperienced with firearms and would like to change that. I currently have access to solid instruction and a good place to shoot. I'm looking for a military rifle I can hunt with and develop solid rifle handling skills.
Initially I was looking at .308 but feel now it is cost-prohibitive and maybe not so practical for me. After many years of poo-pooing 5.56 (out of my own ignorance) I have now much more seriously looked at this caliber as the ideal platform for my rifle.
However, .300 BLK is very intriguing to me as well. I have only recently learned of this caliber and at first it seemed to be the be-all end all platform. Well, I realize now that this is not the case, but, because I'd like to hunt with it, I'm wondering if it would be a better option for me then 5.56.
A knowledgable (to my mind) person told me I shouldn't go .300 BLK over 5.56 for my first rifle but they didn't really articulate "why". My only interest is in using the caliber in a 16" barrel configuration with iron sights, unsuppressed, for learning to shoot well/tactical classes, hunting, and being military capable.
Besides cost, are there any reasons I'd go 5.56 over .300 BLK?
Your best option IMHO is to get a nice 5.56 to start (something like a BCM or DD mid-length 16). Then, eventually get a 16" 300 BLK upper to take out hunting.
You are in a gray area-
5.56 is not legal to hunt medium to big game with in most places, and 300 BLK is not available enough or cheap enough to really shoot enough to, as you say, develop your skills.
If its your first AR I say stick to 5.56 since its the most common. I would never recommend someone go with a non common caliber. Neat thing about the AR is that you can simply add a new upper down the road if you decide you really want something in 300blk.
If cost isn't an issue you could just start out with both uppers so you have best of the both worlds. You will most likely shoot the 5.56 more since the ammo is much more readily available.
Thanks very much for the feedback, this is helpful. I have pretty good access to a .300BLK friendly shop nearby so I'm not so concerned with availability. Cost could still be a factor.
I suppose perhaps a cost-effective option would be an LMT MRP 5.56 and then purchase an LMT .300 BLK barrel at a later time. It's my understanding that the barrel is the only part which would need to be swapped. Is this correct?
Thanks very much for the feedback, this is helpful. I have pretty good access to a .300BLK friendly shop nearby so I'm not so concerned with availability. Cost could still be a factor.
I suppose perhaps a cost-effective option would be an LMT MRP 5.56 and then purchase an LMT .300 BLK barrel at a later time. It's my understanding that the barrel is the only part which would need to be swapped. Is this correct?
That would work.
Buy a LMT mrp then you can just swap out the 5.56 barrel for a 300 blackout barrel when you are ready.
Stick with the tried and true for your first one. 5.56.
I'd get the 5.56 gun, learn the system, then get a .300 upper. Push two pins and you have the new caliber installed on your lower.
Then you still have the 5.56 upper for classes, cheaper training, etc.
I suppose perhaps a cost-effective option would be an LMT MRP 5.56 and then purchase an LMT .300 BLK barrel at a later time. It's my understanding that the barrel is the only part which would need to be swapped. Is this correct?True and not true. While it's all you need to be shooting .300 BLK is a barrel, it's not as easily swapped back and forth as having it on a separate upper. With just the barrel you effectively only have one caliber at a time rather than being able to use both in the same range session, and you probably don't want to wrench off the barrel too often.
True and not true. While it's all you need to be shooting .300 BLK is a barrel, it's not as easily swapped back and forth as having it on a separate upper. With just the barrel you effectively only have one caliber at a time rather than being able to use both in the same range session, and you probably don't want to wrench off the barrel too often.
Two bolts versus two pins... The difference is probably two minutes for anyone close to proficient with a wrench. The bad thing is two uppers tend to morph into two complete rifles if you're not careful!
I would suggest the 5.56 route for a first rifle as well. Everything is standard and parts are plentiful with relatively cheap and available ammo. Once you get the hang of it and gain a little experience you could then very easily branch out into a 300BLK or something else even.
Spooky
$350 for a LMT barrel vs an entire new upper $600 plus optics $400 plus any other options you have on your rail. Either way works, one is just a lot cheaper.
mkmckinley
08-13-11, 09:12
Two bolts versus two pins...
Two bolts and a rezero vs. two pins. I thought I liked the idea of user changeable barrels but after running a SCAR I realized the concept is flawed. What I really wished I'd had was a whole SCAR upper for each barrel length with a dedicated, already zeroed optic appropriate to the barrel.
I would also argue that a quick change barrel is something else that can potentially go wrong. I never had a barrel retention screw start to come loose on my SCAR but I damn sure checked it as part of my PCI.
The point about a single barrel being cheaper than a whole upper is valid. However how much of that savings is going to be eaten up by rezeroing over the life of the weapon and how much more is a rifle with a quick-change barrel going to cost in the first place?
To the OP, you got a perfect response with the first reply. Get a nice 5.56 rifle to start with and then add a .300 BLK for hunting later.
Two bolts and a rezero vs. two pins.
Exactly.
FWIW to the OP, swapping the same barrel back and forth on the MRP should not change point of aim/impact significantly, but a swap to another caliber, with different ballistics and trajectory, will require a re-zero. Perhaps you could get by with, say, flip-up iron sights zeroed for the 5.56 and a magnified optic or RDS on a QD mount that you could attach and is zeroed for the .300 BLK.
Cost wise: an MRP and extra barrel is about the same $ as a standard rifle and 1 spare upper (depending on configuration). The MRP then, has a monolithic rail and will really start to be cost effective when adding more barrels.
You could have a RDS in a QD mount for the 5.56 barrel for defense and training and an inexpensive low power scope in a QD mount for the .300BLK for hunting. The swap of barrel and optic will take 2 mins or less and can be done on the range easy.
My 16" piston MRP barrel was w/in 2 MOA of the 10.5" barrel with the same sight. I zero'd to the 16" for longer shots, the 10.5" would still be combat accurate to 200m (4" shift).
The shift in poi is valid. I would just record the move ups and you should be gtg.
Thanks for all the comments, I appreciate it.
I guess for deer season, I can just break out the slug gun. That's the only "pressing" .300 BLK quality (use for hunting) I can see for the near term which 5.56 can't address.
Are you hunting where 223 is not legal for deer?
Are you hunting where 223 is not legal for deer?
Yes, the caliber has got to be larger than .25", unfortunately.
The bad thing is two uppers tend to morph into two complete rifles if you're not careful!
What is so bad about that?
Take a Look at the 7.62x40WT from Wilson Combat. I have AR rifles in 300BLK and 7.62x40 WT and for hunting would choose the Wilson over the Blackout for supersonic. If you feel you need the ability to hunt with subsonic/suppressed then the Blackout would be better for you.
Link to 7.62x40 WT :
http://shopwilsoncombat.com/762x40-WT/departments/411/
Lot's of good information above!
Be warned! Even if you get the 16" 300BLK for hunting, you will probably eventaully want to also get a 300BLK SBR upper and shoot subsonics suppressed! It's just so dang fun to shoot.
jc,
My first AR was a 6.8, a decision which I regret. Not because I don't like the 6.8, but because it's too expensive to shoot. If I had it to do all over again, I'd still want a 6.8mm rifle but I'd get the 5.56 first.
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